1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receptor for a posterior pituitary hormone, oxytocin, which is widely used as an uterotonic agent in the general clinic field. The present invention further relates to a DNA sequence encoding the receptor, a recombinant DNA molecule containing the DNA sequence and a transformed cell comprising the recombinant DNA molecule. The present invention further relates to methods of detection and diagnosis, and to a kit for use in same, which involve the use of either oxytocin or its receptor.
2. Background Information
Oxytocin is a posterior pituitary hormone which causes uterine contraction and is widely used for induction and enhancement of contractions during labor in the obstetric clinical setting. It is recognized, however, that there is a great deal of individual variation in the effective activity of oxytocin in clinical use. Also, oxytocin is believed to be most effective against the pregnant uterus at term, which is believed to have developed, throughout the course of pregnancy, an increased number of oxytocin receptors. The increased number of oxytocin receptors is believed to be essential for the increased sensitivity of the myometrium to oxytocin.
It has been recognized that the oxytocin receptor, and the DNA sequence encoding same, would be needed to determine the series of biological response mechanisms between oxytocin and the oxytocin receptor, and to study the mode of expression of the oxytocin receptor in living tissue. Further, availability of the receptor and its encoding sequence would enable the measurement of the expression level of the oxytocin receptor before labor or at the time of labor, the construction of screening methods for evaluating oxytocin activity, and the treatment of labor pains using an antibody against the oxytocin receptor.
The present invention provides the oxytocin receptor and the encoding DNA sequence, as well as recombinant constructs comprising that sequence and host cells transformed therewith.